Germany rejects EU's Borrell plan to halt political talks with Israel

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday rejected top EU diplomat Josep Borrell's proposal to suspend regular political dialogue with Israel in response to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
"We are always in favour of keeping channels of dialogue open. Of course, this also applies to Israel," the German Foreign Office said in response to Borrell's plans.
The Foreign Office said that the political dialogues under the EU-Israel Association Council give a regular opportunity to discuss compliance with international humanitarian law and the provision of humanitarian aid to the people in the Gaza Strip.
Breaking off the dialogue, on the other hand, would not help anyone on either the Palestinian or the Israeli side, the statement said.
Borrell proposed that EU member states suspend political dialogue with Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip, an EU diplomatic source told dpa on Wednesday.
"Based on available reports of independent international agencies there are reasons to consider that Israel is violating human rights and international humanitarian law," the source told dpa.
The initiative, which was put forward in a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, is now to be discussed at a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday in Brussels.